Chuusei no Ishi - Stone of Ages

Kagawa Kazuto, a seventeen-year-old city boy, travels with his family one summer to visit his aunt, uncle and cousin he has not seen for eight years. On the first day, he discovers a small turquoise gem unlike any seen before. Upon running into trouble, the gem glows and Kazuto is carried away to a new world untouched by mankind. Realizing he is trapped, and the world’s hero, Kazuto must adapt to the new world, learn to fight and find a way back.
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Chapters:

The air was thick and musty in the car after just a three-hour
drive. Kazuto had spent the entirety of the journey staring
intently out the window at the passing scenery. He had seen
everything from vast oceanscapes to towering mountains to
seemingly bottomless valleys. He hated to travel even though this
was his first time outside the city of Tokyo.

Born, grown, and raised a city boy in the center of the busiest
city on Earth, Tokyo, Kazuto was curious about the outside world.
He enjoyed reading, writing and looking at pictures of the world
but never wanted to actually go there. It was something that had
fascinated him from his young childhood. While all his classmates
spent their days socializing and playing around, Kazuto could be
found in the library reading about the outside world.

It was the truth that he had no contact with his classmates he
did have a friend; Tanaka Ayumi, his neighbor and childhood
friend. She acted more like a caring mother than an actual
friend. A kind, thoughtful, charming childhood friend she was.
And to no avail, Kazuto couldn't stand that side of her.

Kazuto's attention was pulled from his window to the opposite
side as his little sister, Miki, frantically pointed out the car
door yelling, "Here! Here! Here!" Kazuto removed one ear bud from
his mp3 played and looked across the seemingly endless depths of
the cliffy shores. A large yet standard Japanese style house sat
proudly at the edge of the cliff where it began to descend.
Kazuto, in his seventeen years of life, had never visited his
cousins as they had always come him.

It had been years since he had seen his aunt and uncle. But then
there was Kiku, his fifteen-year-old cousin. On multiple
occasions they would play when they were younger, but as time
passed they grew further from each other. She was an oddball now.
Distancing herself from the group and most often barricading
herself in her room. Nobody knew what she did in there alone. Not
even her parents.

The road, once smooth, suddenly became sharp and rocky. It was a
wake up call to Kazuto that they were now on the property. His
parents had told him about that on the way. Not like he needed to
know.

Their car pulled up in the middle of the stone circle in front of
the house. At the steps to the small porch stood Jirou and
Chiharu Tsuji; his aunt and uncle. Not having seen them for over
eight years made Kazuto sweaty and hesitant. Once he got his act
together he exited out the opposite end of the car. It then hit
him his cousin, Kiku, was missing.

"I assume it was a safe trip?" his uncle asked greeting his
father. His mother had gone over and began talking to his aunt
leaving Kazuto and Miki standing in the center of the driveway
awkwardly.

Finally his aunt pulled away from her conversation and walked
over to Miki. "Look at you all grown up now." She tightly
squeezed Miki's cheeks like any aunt would. This had always been
known to Kazuto as "the death squeeze". It took a rebellious Miki
some thirty seconds to pull away from her aunt's grasp. "My, my I
remember when you were still a baby!" Miki ran behind her mother
gripping her long summer dress tightly. Though Miki was only nine
she still had her childish episodes.

Aunt Chiharu turned over to Kazuto still listening to the music
on his mp3. Silent at first she gave Kazuto a look down, then a
look up. Kazuto gazed into her suddenly sullen eyes without
batting an eyelash. Shortly after the long staring contest she
faced back to his mother and the two began chatting again.

Kazuto awkwardly waddled away maintaining focus on his iPod. The
song changed to something he deeply enjoyed so he turned up the
volume. He walked over to the beginning drop of the hill looking
down upon the beach and shimmering ocean. Against the blinding
gaze of the sun he could see a silhouette of a person standing by
the water's edge. The person turned to the hill, noticed him and
waved. Kazuto let out a small sigh and began the descent down.

Kiku stood barefoot in a frilly one-piece dress that seemed to
almost show more than needed. Her skin was soft and smooth to the
touch appearing almost like porcelain. Her nails, carefully
painted down to the borders, carried small cats each in a
different color. Kazuto could get a small whiff of lilac and
daisies in the sea air coming from her. After eight years all
Kazuto could say was a faint greeting. It was an odd enough
encounter for the both of them as they kept to themselves; Kazuto
focused on the illuminant screen of his mp3 and Miki on the piles
of sand beneath her feet. Finally the latter spoke, "eight years,
huh?" Kiku's face flushed a bright red. Kazuto only nodded.
Another silence fell over the two and to make it seem less
awkward Kiku picked up a small, smooth stone by her foot and
tossed it as far as her slim arms would allow her.

Kazuto felt a responsibility to start something. The two of them
used to play together all the time when they were younger. They
were so close at the time she would address him as Onii-chan. She
said it so much he began to believe that they were actually
siblings. It wasn't until then that her mother told her to cut
with the childish names and grow up. That was the last time he
saw her.

Kiku lightly folded her hands while shyly avoiding eye contact.
The redness in her face had dissipated but the nervousness was
still quite present. "It's been eight long years since we last
talked, huh nii-nii?" Kazuto rubbed the back of his head
astonished she was still referring to him as such. "You're still
calling me that, huh?" he asked. Kiku nodded.

Kiku clenched the sides of her dress tightly. She bit her lip
letting out a quiet moan of anxiety. She had known of his arrival
for weeks now but never planned for it. And now she was paying
the consequences. "Hey, do you remember that thing we promised?"
She immediately closed her mouth embarrassed with her choice of
words. Kazuto tilted his head confused again. He didn't remember
her being so roundabout. "What promise?" he finally asked. Kiku
shook her head furiously and turned back to the ocean.
"N-nothing! Never mind!"

The two stood in silence for the second time in several minutes
of their reunion. Already Kazuto was growing impatient. Kiku was
once the most straightforward young girl he knew. Fear was
something she didn't know of.

At the same time, he was tempted to ask her what she meant by her
prior question. Promise? The words rung in his head
again and again until it began to drive him mad. Even if he had
promised her something, how would he remember after eight years?
What was her deal exactly?

Back on top of the hill, Kazuto's father waved frantically
calling the two to come back. His words were trouble to decipher
at such a distance. Kazuto let out a sigh upset his question
would remain unanswered. As he turned back to Kiku, she was
already running past him. Fast. Her movements were quick and
flexible like a cat. Kazuto couldn't help but smile to himself.

He followed slowly at his own pace turning his music volume back
up again, drowning out all distractions. As he neared the edge of
the beach he felt his foot hit something hard and spiky. He drew
back concerned he had stepped on a crab or piece of driftwood.
Yet buried under a thin layer of sand and dirt lay the tip of a
diamond like crystal. Kazuto knelt down and dug it out, gently
brushing away the sand. It was a somewhat small cylindrical,
turquoise crystal with smaller versions of the main body jolting
out of the bottom at a forty-five degree angle. It seemed to
gleam much like a night star when held up to the sun. It the
first he had ever seen something of its type. Smooth like it was
cut, clear like glass, and seemingly untouched by anyone before.
He looked up the hill just as Kiku was reaching the top, pocketed
the crystal without a word and made his journey back up.

His aunt and mother had cooked dinner fashionably. An assortment
of rice dishes, various types of fish found off the coast and
traditional southern side dishes all but covered the edges of the
table. The meal looked almost like something out of a five-star
hotel. But of course this was normal for his family. Both his
mother and aunt were eccentric cooks. It had always been a
competition. Wife vs. Sister-in-law. His father couldn't pick
sides.

They said their thanks and dug into the table of delicacies.
Little by little the food melted away into their mouths as the
night grew darker. Not just food, but laughs were passed around
the table with stories and anecdotes they could not have shared
these past eight years. All the while Kiku was silent. She knelt
at the table, hand carefully folded, eyes locked on her twiddling
thumbs, a sullen look on her face. Something had felt off since
he arrived.

A gradual smile formed on Kiku's face when she realized Kazuto
was looking at her. He smiled back, which unfortunately made her
sink back into her depression. Odd, Kazuto thought.

Chiharu banged a small spoon on her elegantly crafted glass. The
sharp sound resonated with the even smaller dining room. In less
than a second the family's chatter died to a low mutter of a few
words. "Now that I have your attention," she began, "I would like
to take this time to iterate a little legend from around these
parts. One of myth, yet very real. One of fiction, but total
fact. It all began years ago when people began to go missing.
There one day and missing the next. The settlers at the time
began to fear the supernatural. While some claimed it was the
angered spirits of their ancestors, there were a miniscule amount
of those who told stories of them vanishing into the sun. Early
in the morning, under the luminous sun, a bright flash erupted
out of thin air. When the flash dissipated, they were gone. This
went on for years until one of the missing returned. He claimed
stories of another world he was transported to. Tales of magic,
monsters and mystery. Of course no one believed him, but he kept
at it. With his return the disappearances stopped. People
returned to their normal lives and the returnee was forgotten."

"Mother that's just a childrens story." Kiku snorted.

"How cold Kiku. My mother passed that down to me!"

Kazuto, tired of the jabber around the table, stood up and left
the room without another word. Tired not only of the stories, the
loud chatter, one talking over another, but also tired from the
trip. He had his room which he decided to retire to for the
night.

He changed out of his clothes being sure to remove everything
from his pockets. He stopped upon reaching and pulling out the
gem from before. It had a magnetic feel to it as his eyes
remained glued. The sleak, glossy texture was alluring. It become
impossible to avert his gaze. Eventually he overcame the strange
sensation and dropped it on a dresser. Tossing over in his bed he
thought about how strange of a find it was. After all, who would
drop and forget about a gem as beautiful as it? All these and
more slowly faded from his mind as he drifted off into a slumber
finally shutting his eyes. It was only then that the stone began
to glow. Brightly.

Kazuto was awoken early in the morning by the shaking of another
and the sunlight flooding his bedroom. His eyes still tired from
a long nights rest took their time adjusting. When they did
Kiku's image was projected crisply in his mind. "What do you
want?" he asked turning over.

She flipped him back, a stern glare on her face. "Get up," she
ordered. Kiku grabbed his loose arm dragging him off the bed.
Much like a drill sergeant training his recruits, Kiku hovered
over Kazuto with the same look and posture. "Come with me."

Faced with no other option Kazuto caved in. He dressed, made his
bed and made for the door before stopping. Something inside
calling to him. He turned to the dresser where the gem lay. It
called to him. Something was beckoning him to take it with him.
Frozen in place by this strong unknown desire Kazuto began to
hear voices. Soft, but audible. One by one the voices grew
louder. More joined in. He swore he was going insane. So in the
split second he recovered his sanity he swiped the gem. The
voices stopped.

Outside Kiku waited patiently against the gate in a similar one
piece she wore the day before. This one being a pure yellow with
dim blue stripes. She didn't even say one word but motioned him
to follow. Kazuto only followed silently.

After minutes of walking through thick brush and rough terrain
they neared a small clearing. It couldn't have been any larger
than the house itself. Just near the end, Kazuto could see a drop
where the hill ended and the colored ocean of the morning began.
Was this it?

Kiku spun lightly showing off her plush one-piece glide over the
breeze. "Beautiful isn't it?" she asked facing the sunrise.
Kazuto didn't have much to say in reply. Only to ask what her
purpose was. "I just thought you'd want to see it." She lied. "To
be honest I wanted to tell you something."

Kazuto wanted to ask more before hearing what she wanted to tell
him. "Why here?"

"This is where it started if you don't remember."

"What started?"

"Our promise."

The waves thundered below violently growing stronger by the
second. A thin breeze blew past his ears whistling. As Kiku
opened her mouth to speak the wind picked up and a wave smacked
its body against the Cliffside. Her mouth was clearly moving but
the words never came out.

A crack broke through amidst all the rambling of the wind and
waves. It was loud enough to wake even the heaviest of sleepers.
It didn't take Kazuto long to realize the edge where Kiku stood
was breaking off.

There was no hesitation in his next movement as he dashed
forward. Kiku remained frozen by the sudden fall. Three meters.
Kazuto picked his legs up and ran faster. A gasp of surprise
finally came from Kiku as she realized what was happening. Two
meters. Half way through her fall already Kiku let out a scream
of desperation. One meter. Kazuto knew in his mind what he had to
do. He had no doubt in his mind. No regret. Zero meters. Kazuto
leapt off the cliff grabbing Kiku's arm. Using the greater force
from his body weight he swung Kiku around like a pendulum tossing
her back on the cliff edge.

His fate sealed, the end of his life drawing near, Kazuto shut
his eyes calmly. The whipping of the wind by his ears. The
crashing of the waves. Both were the last two things he would
hear. Up above Kiku's shrill cry echoed off into the horizon
catching his ears. He began to wonder how his name would be
remembered. What would Ayumi think? A small grimace came across
his face.

Without warning his vision was enveloped in a bright light, much
like a lightning bolt strike in brightness. Bright enough to
blind him even with his eyes closed tight. The strength of the
sun on a hot summer day. It gave Kazuto a warming, welcoming
feeling as he fell.

The light vanished. The lashing wind stopped. The crashing waves
dissipated. All was silent again. But something was off. The soft
feeling of grass replaced the empty floor. The smell of fresh
flowers intoxicated his nostrils. He slowly reopened his eyes
still blinded by the flashing illumination. Blinded by a sudden
burst of light he shut his eyes tightly again, waited a few
moments then opened them again.

A serene blue sky hung high overhead. Beneath him the crisp green
grass he so missed. He was on solid ground and very much alive.
But where was he? He stood up, legs shaking like a cornered dog.
He had no clue of his whereabouts or how he got here. What
concerned him was his last memory. Did he really fall off a cliff
risking his life to save Kiku? Was this all just a dream?

He shoved those thoughts out of his head and walked. He didn't
care where to, he needed to find answers anyway possible. Up
ahead was a lining of tall, round trees leading into a forest.
That was probably a better place to look since the only other
direction was out into a vast, plain horizon.

His head hurt and his bones ached with every step. It was
becoming a difficulty to walk in a straight line. Leaning on
every other tree to regain his balance became necessary to
continue any further.

Finally, he reached a long stretch of dirt road that lead on for
miles. "A road." He smiled pleased with his choice and the
nearing chance of finding help. The sound of an approaching cart
caught his attention and sent shivers down his spine. Two large
horses charged full speed at him, the cart driver flailing his
hands frantically telling him to move. But his body refused,
frozen like a statue. The driver steered the horses away just
meters away before stopping just past him.

"Who are you to obstruct my lady's travels?" A stern and
commanding voice boomed from the carriage. Kazuto swallowed all
his bravery as a large man in shimmering armor stepped out; sword
drawn to arms. Still his body would not move. "Are you an
assassin from Gastaria, fiend?" the man rose his sword high as he
reached sword distance. Kazuto shut his eyes tight and braced for
the worst.

"Cornelius!" another voice came from the carriage. The man
stopped and froze in his steps only to sheathe his sword and turn
around. A young maiden, most likely no older than he was, stepped
out of the carriage. She had dazzling purple hair draped to her
shoulders; two braids hanging on both sides from front to back.
Her eyes were a deep, piercing red like an apple. She wore a
flashy pink Victorian-style dress that almost clashed with her
physical appearance. "Can you not see this boy is unarmed?"

The man grunted bowing his head. Kazuto was speechless as he
looked between the two. Who were they? What language were they
speaking? He thought of this chance to slip away and find help.
Unfortunately the girl approached him. "Are you alright?" she
asked. Kazuto didn't know how to reply even. He had no clue of
what they were saying. "Not much of a talker, are you then?"

Kazuto shook his head. Everything in his mind was twisting and
turning almost too fast. "I don't even know what you're saying."
The girl put on a confused look. How would she react to a
language she'd never heard before?

Suddenly, her expression changed. She pranced back to her
carriage, dug around a little and came back with a small pocket
sized book. She flipped through the pages and stopped on one half
way through. Her next words were like a chant. Faint and mashed
together. When she finished, she smiled, shut the book and asked
again if he was okay. Kazuto almost leapt back from shock when he
realized he could understand her. "What the heck was that?" he
asked.

She giggled to herself a bit. "Magic" she replied. "Have you not
seen it before?"

Kazuto shook his head. "No. I don't even know where I am."

The girl gave him a visual look down at his appearance. "Guessing
from your appearance you are not from around here. Where did you
come from?"

"Last I remember I was falling off a cliff just outside Shimoda."

"Shi-mo-da?" the girl tried to pronounce the name as best she
could. Things were beginning to get weirder as the conversation
progressed.

Kazuto folded his arms. "In Japan." Once again the girl tried to
pronounce the name but had difficulty. Kazuto grumbled frustrated
over the confusion. "Look, can you just tell me where I am so I
can figure out how to get back."

"You're just outside Briting." She said. Now things were more
complicated than before. "How do you not know your current
location? Are you not a citizen of Teruinn?"

"Teruinn? You mean this isn't Japan?"

"I don't know what delusions you have suffered boy, but this is
the great continent of Teruinn."

"Now listen here just a moment-" He was stopped by the armored
man pointing his sword to his throat. "Watch your language
against my lady!" Kazuto was ready to rebuke and call them all
crazy, but with his attention turned to the sky he finally knew
he was no longer home. He counted not one… not two… but three
moons in the sky. How could he not have seen that sooner?